Saber Marionette P
by pianocelloconducting
Summary: Prequel to Saber Marionette R. 'P' stands for Peterburg BTW.


**Saber Marionette P**

**by**

**piano_cello_conducting@yahoo.com__**

_This is based on an RPG and the story is a prequel to Saber Marionette R. Oh...and in case you are not aware, women do exist in the Saber Marionette R universe. Comments can be sent to piano_cello_conducting@yahoo.com_

The RPG players are:

piano_cello_conducting = Junior

beautiful_marine_blue = Cherry

edward_tivuruvsky_4th = Lime

sugoi_bloodberry = Bloodberry

Responsibilities. Duties.

Part and parcel of being a member of royalty.

Sweat. Wiping off drops of sweat.

Junior was sitting in his room exhausted by a day of playing with Cherry and Lime. The serious face that his father was giving him seemed to be an indication that there was going to be some serious duties and responsibilities. And it certainly wasn't the first time his father had given him that look.

"It concerns the Royal Villey Sword..."

His father's booming voice pierced his thoughts. Junior had a very formal relationship with his father. His father was a kind but strict man who preferred to talk on formal terms with his younger son. Yes, he could be harsh sometimes but he really meant well for his son.

Well, at least his relationship with his father was better than his brother's relationship with their father. Some said that Starface was the brightest genius in the kingdom of Romanna. Others said that his presence was sure to someday bring about the fall of the kingdom. Whatever it was, Starface kept his distance from his father and his brother and did not make any attempts to hide his contempt.

"...on a foreign affairs meeting in Peterburg last month, one of our members of the delegation unfortunately said that he lost it in Peterburg.." His father went on talking. "...now as a mature member of the royal family, this is your chance to prove that you are now a responsible young man..."

Junior wondered what his father was up to and listened intently as his father continued to speak.

"...we are going to be sending a delegation to Peterburg in a few days and I want you to go with the delegation. Of course, Lime and Cherry can go with you. And of course, while you're there, I need you to retrieve the sword back. Bloodberry will be following to make sure that everything is okay..."

Junior didn't look his father in the eye but continued to stare at the exquisite royal paintings in the room

as his mind wandered. 

_Peterburg? That should be an interesting country to travel to._

As Junior sat in his room, mulling over the events of the day, a light tap came at his door. 

"Yes? Come in..." he murmured, only half paying attention. Suddenly, the huge double doors into his chambers swung open like paper, hitting the walls on either side with a great crash. A little dust settled in the aftermath, but by the time it had hit the ground, Lime hugging Junior contentedly. 

"Wa-haha! Junior, have you been in your room all afternoon? I've been looking everywhere for you!" The marionette giggled, smothering the boy in affection. 

"Ne, let's go to the park next. I want to see the fountains!" She stood back expectantly, but Lime's face fell when she realized Junior wasn't in quite a fine mood as she was. He only too late realized he was exposing his thoughts and switched his expression to a grin. 

"The fountains? Sounds like a plan to me...." Inwardly, Junior was thinking about how a little stroll might do him some good. He still had a feeling something was up......

"Oh, Lime?"

"Hm?"

"What do you have in your data base about Peterburg?"

"Umm.....anoooo.....I'm not programmed for stuff like that, Junior.....You should ask Cherry instead." 

_Such an innocent child..._.

Junior nodded and slowly stood up. "That's okay Lime. Let's go find Cherry and go for a walk, okay?" The pair headed out of the room with Lime clinging to Junior's side. 

"You know....I have an important announcement to make."

Junior spoke as Cherry came into sight. The two marionettes started to hang on to his arms until he started speaking.

"Father says that we are to go to Petersburg for..."

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before the eyes of his two marionettes started to light up with joy. Lime started jumping up and down and acting like she were going to go to a huge amusement park. Cherry started to fawn about how Junior would buy beautiful dresses for her.

"...actually, we're going there for a mission and...." Junior continued when he was interrupted.

He turned around and saw the full-bodied figure of Bloodberry standing by a garden wall. Junior understood immediately. Probably Bloodberry would be going to keep an eye on them. *She was always the dependable one anyway...*

He proceeded to explain the mission to his two excited marionettes. Bloodberry walked over to Junior and the others. She tried not to make a big deal of her presence, so she just stayed within hearing distance.

She didn't like leaving, but she knew it was important to protect Junior. She stood there in her beautiful dress, which hid fighting clothes underneath. She dreamed of the day she would not always have to be ready for a surprise attack. Bloodberry smiled, Junior was growing up to become a fine young man.

Lime was hopping up and down like a little child. That's what she is, Cherry thought, a little child. Why did Junior need a second marionette anyway? She was happy when it was just the two of them. Cherry was glad to hold onto Junior's arm. It wasn't something she got to do very often anymore. To make matters worse, Lime followed her around as much as she followed Junior. 

_Thank goodness for the marionette battles_, Cherry thought. It was one place Lime could get out her energy and Cherry could spend time with Junior.

Cherry looked back and saw Bloodberry leaning against a wall nearby. Bloodberry would watch closely to see how things were going. Cherry didn't think this was bad. 

"I've got something important to say," Junior said.

"Please listen before you get so excited."

Cherry blushed; she had been as bad as Lime. Her focus was now completely on Junior. 

************************

The journey seemed to take forever.

Tired. Feeling just a little tired.

They had been on the road. Junior and the three marionettes had been traveling together with the delegation from Romanna towards Peterburg. It had only been a few days but it felt like weeks.

It had been an ardous trek through the steep mountains surrounding Romanna and more than once Junior wished that the journey wasn't as tiring. But in a way, it was also rewarding because the view from atop the mountains were beyond magnificent.

Coming down from the mountains, they had chosen to cross by using the barren lands between Japoness and Gartland. Luckily, they carried enough water with them and thus the problem of dehydration was solved.

Junior looked at the excited marionettes with him. Only Bloodberry seemed cool and calm (as always). Lime as usual, couldn't contain her excitement and was bursting with energy.

*Was that a mirage? Was it a dream? No, it couldn't be, it was.....*

"Peterburg!" one of King Villey's advisors proclaim.

Junior opened his eyes and looked in awe at the sight appearing before his eyes. With some majestic mountains framing the background, the city stood in its full glory like some great city from ancient legends. Minarets and domes glistened against the evening sky. People hustled and bustled through their daily life.

It was more than they had expected.

As they walked through the streets of the capital, people were haggling in the open-air marketplace (busy...so busy). People were bargaining in the hopes of getting the best prices and their loud voices filled the air. Junior did remember that the cold season could be very cold and he saw warm fur clothes being sold.

"At some point though, we have to pay a courtesy visit to the ruler of Peterburg." Junior explained to Cherry and Lime who were obviously oblivious to the affairs of the state. While Cherry was quicker to understand, all of this seemed foreign to her. Bloodberry stood watchfully from a distance to make sure that everything was okay.

Junior continued to explain. "The ruler here is named Alexander Kissin. While our main purpose is to retrieve the sword, we must not forget that we are here as part of an official delegation and it is expected that we meet with the ruler of Peterburg for official business."

Junior was deep in thought. He was trying to remember the circumstances as to how the Royal Villey Sword was lost.

The accounts differ. But one thing was true. It was lost three weeks ago when a delegation had been sent to Peterburg to discuss better diplomatic relations with Romanna. King Villey himself had gone to lead the delegation. And as always, he carried the magnificent and regally-looking sword wherever he went. It was not so much for self-defense but more for the sense of nobility and pride the sword gave its owner that he probably carried it. Being the busy man he was, he couldn't remember exactly how he had lost it and the accounts from his various attendants seemed to differ. One said that he left in his Royal Guest Room. Another said he dropped it near the Downtown Market. Yet another suggested that it was misplaced near the Town Hall. One went so far as to suggest that there was a conspiracy to steal it and it would probably at some home of a private (and probably rich) owner. 

The possibilities were endless. Junior pondered and was stirred from his thoughts by the endless chatter of his marionettes.

"...Junior, buy this for me...."

"...and that......"

Junior's marionettes were busy fidgeting with the various things on display at the Downtown Market. Some of the stall vendors looked amused. Some of them seemed displeased. Whatever. 

"..I'm sure we'll have lots of food prepared in our honor when we meet the Czar. So, in the meantime, let's forget about buying these snacks and get going.."

Having said that, Junior nudged Lime and Cherry while Bloodberry kept a careful on them.

Cherry was holding onto one of Junior's arms while Lime was holding onto the other. The market was getting crowded.

"There are so many people here," Cherry said. She looked up at Junior. His face looked a little more serious than usual. Cherry nuzzled a little closer to him.

She felt something move behind her. She was beginning to have problems walking in the crowd. "You're right. We should get going," she said. Again, she felt a movement behind her. *There are too many people here.*

"That's the ones," she heard. "They act a little weird. I better they're the expensive kind." Cherry didn't quite know what was going on. "Hmm.. might make good collector's items." 

"Wanna try it?"

"Sure."

She felt a hand start to reach around her waist. She tugged hard on Junior's shirt. 

"What is it now Cherry?" Junior asked. He turned around to see Cherry being attacked and Bloodberry keeping two other men at bay. It was too crowded in the market now to fight efficiently.

A sharp whistle was all it took to bring several more men to the scene. Despite Bloodberry's best efforts, there were just too many of them. And it didn't help that most of these men were seasoned fighters themselves, having been involved in more than their fair share of brawls.

Merchandise and items flew everywhere. "Stop this! Take your fight elsewhere..." The stall owner was tearing his hair in despair but everyone was ignoring him. (_Deliberately?_)

Junior wanted to fight. However being small and puny, he knew that there wasn't much he could do. 

Something unexpected happened. Punches and kicks suddenly flew as a mysterious party joined in the fight. The men started yelping in pain and it wasn't long before they ran when they realized who their assailant was.

Junior stared at the person standing in front of him. She was female alright. She had long flowing brown hair and feminine eyes. Her slender arms and legs looked like they might belong to...marionettes? *Must be one of those Peterburg marionettes.*

Junior looked at her again. Perhaps it was something about the way she walked. Perhaps it was something about the look in her eyes.

Then he realized what it was: **She was human!**

"Hi."

"Uhh..."

"I'm Natasha." She spoke perkily. "What's the matter, did I scare you or something?"

"I'm...Villey Junior."

"Villey? Yes, we were expecting you from Romanna. My father is the Czar of Peterburg."

Junior breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile Lime and Cherry were touching and playing with her hair out of curiousity. She merely shrugged politely and continued, "Those men that you saw....they are criminals. I don't know how it is in Romanna but ever since females came into existence, production of marionettes in Peterburg had diminished or been stopped completely in some sectors. And therefore marionettes like your type do fetch a high price in the black market. I'd be careful if I were you because those marionettes could be sold for a high price if they were stolen."

Bloodberry looked at Junior. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should have done a better job." She clenched her fist. She had to do more training and get better. This situation could have gotten ugly very quickly.

Cherry looked over at Bloodberry. "Everything is okay."

Lime, of course, was on the other side of Junior. Cherry thought for a moment. She guessed that it was good to have someone like Lime to protect Junior. After all, Lime wanted to enter another tournament soon. In any case, she was stuck with her whether she liked it or not.

"It's also dangerous for you to have been out on the streets, Natasha." The voice was Bloodberry. 

Natasha giggled, "I'm never alone when I'm outside. Trust me, I'm perfectly safe."

Bloodberry knew that this had to be true, but Natasha seemed to have some secret that she was keeping. Bloodberry looked over at Cherry.

Cherry noticed the look. She nodded. Bloodberry must have known that there was something that Cherry wasn't quite catching. Cherry found it so strange though to see a human female walking around. The group had seldom left the safety of the capital. Maybe that was what Bloodberry was wondering about. Natasha was calm the entire time they walked back to her place.

Cherry gave Bloodberry a knowing look.

Junior seemed interested in getting right to business. Cherry was glad of this, because Natasha was being just a little **TOO** nice to her Junior.

***********************

Junior looked in amazement.

The walls and panels were decorated with brightly-painted murals. The expensive chandeliers were decorated with golden ornaments. The hallway was vast and the echo of their voices thundered through the corridor.

The entourage walked into a room led by Princess Natasha Kissin. Sitting in a chair was a stately figure. He looked old and gray but he still carried an air of wisdom in his eyes. His voice was gravelly but not unkind.

"Welcome, welcome. It's always a pleasure to see all of you." Czar Alexander Kissin spoke in a deep voice while his advisors nodded. He made a little fuss over Junior and began to pat his head. "My..my. How you've grown. Your father must be proud of you."

Junior merely nodded in his noble presence. The Czar's advisors stood at attention and the entourage from Romanna did the same. Minutes later, everyone adjourned to the grand dinning hall. 

"Here's to good relations between Peterburg and Romanna." Czar Kissin raised his glass and Junior did the same. Everyone did the same. Princess Natasha was sitting near Junior and Cherry probably felt that she might be getting a little too CLOSE to Junior.

Lime's eyes were wide with fascination as she stared excitedly around the room. Junior, Cherry, Bloodberry and herself were seated at one end of an elaborately decorated table, complete with candelabras and intricate flower arrangements amidst plates heaped high with steaming food. At the far side sat the Czar with several daughters on each side, and palace

officials composing the remainder of the dinner guests. 

Everyone seemed to be in a jovial, pleasant mood, especially Czar Kissin. He was continually glancing across the way to Junior and smiling, then turning to his daughter Natasha and doing the same. Bloodberry had noticed this, and smiled coyly while leaning over to whisper into Lime's ear. "Tch! I bet that Czar has big plans for Junior!" She winked, but Lime just looked blankly back at Bloodberry, momentarily halting her almost continuous intake of food with a dinner roll shoved in her mouth. She looked to Junior seated on her other side, then turned back to the marionette and swallowed. 

"..Oro? What do you mean by that, Bloodberry?" 

Instead, Bloodberry just shook her head and laughed. "Never mind, Lime....Nothing you need to worry your head over at the moment...."

"Oh...what a pleasure to see you here."

After dinner, some had stayed for dessert. Others had just wandered around the palace. Junior had decided to walk in the palace gardens to admire the fauna and flowers that were native to the region. A small gushing water-fountain stood in the middle. And it was there that he saw Princess Natasha again. Apparently, she had wandered there after dinner.

"Yes...did you like the food?"

"Of course. My compliments to your father."

Junior knew that the main purpose of his visit was to search for the missing item. But to start off with, he didn't have much of a clue.

*Would she possibly know anything? Might she be able to help?*

"You have something to ask, I presume?" she asked in a earnest voice startling Junior from his thoughts. 

"Why...is there something wrong with my nose?"

Not knowing whether to trust her, Junior hesitated for a while and then decided to tell her about the Villay sword. She listened attentively and then replied calmly,"I personally don't know where it is right now but I am sure that I will be able to help." 

Looking back at Junior, she suddenly asked,"Say...how much freedom does your father give you?"

Startled by her question, Junior hesitatingly replied,"Enough...I..I guess."

"I envy you. So very often...I have to sneak off by dressing up in civilian clothes. My father is very protective of me, you know."

"Oh and what about your mother?"

"Father doesn't talk too much about her." She looked downcast. "He says that she died a long time ago. Somehow, I feel that he's hiding something."

"I'm sorry."

"Not at all."

************************

Cherry stood in the darkness watching Junior and Natasha talk. She certainly wasn't going to let Natasha out of her sight. It seemed that Natasha was definately spending too much time around Junior. She had to be watched.

She felt movement behind her. She could tell that it was Bloodberry. "Are you worried?" Bloodberry asked, partly in a teasing manner. 

"I don't trust her," Cherry said. "Something isn't right. It's not just that she's spending so much time with him. It's something about the WAY she's doing it. She has some sort of purpose."

Bloodberry chuckled. "Let me be the guard. That is what I do best. I've been guarding his father for a while."

Cherry thought about it. She remembered how frustrated Bloodberry had been during the brawl. Cherry nodded. 

"Tomorrow I want to see what information I can find out."

Bloodberry looked at Cherry. "That may not be wise," Bloodberry said, "I think everyone will notice if you're not right next to Junior."

Cherry smiled, "Then I'll have to look as if I'm getting something fixed. I can leave the group and see what I can find out. Something isn't right here and I want to know before Junior gets hurt."

Bloodberry nodded. She was glad that Cherry had good intentions. Hopefully Lime would be a big enough distraction that people wouldn't notice if Cherry was gone for a little while. 

**********************

Birds suddenly flew.

A rose fell.

Sunlight reflected on a figure.

"Oh...hi Olga." Natasha turned around and said. Junior turned and looked. It was Natasha's sister, Olga and she was walking towards them.

Unlike her sister, Olga had short hair. And while Natasha was thin and lanky, Olga was slightly more robust.

"Olga also sneaks out with me sometimes into the city in plain clothes. I'm sure that she would be very helpful in helping us look for the missing item."

Junior wasn't sure whether he wanted so many people to follow him when he went on his quest but better judgment got the better of him and he decided that it wouldn't hurt to have some local guides him around since he didn't really know too much of the country.

"Uhh...sure. I guess we could start looking tomorrow once I have had a good nights' rest," Junior spoke. "I think I should get back inside. The marionettes are probably waiting for me. I know how they can be if I leave them alone for too long."

*************************

Lime lay sprawled across one end of the giant dining table as servants tried to clear empty remnants of the elaborate feast that had only ended a few minutes ago. She was snoring loudly, and her cheeks looked faintly flushed. A large mug, now completely empty, lay next to her.

From a dark doorway a figure emerged, dressed richly in a Petersburg style fur coat. He grinned to himself upon finding the marionette out like a light and quietly stole forward, attracting hardly a glance from the servants bustling about. He picked up the light body in both arms, and turned sharply heading back the way he had come. Before exiting the room, he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Junior and the princesses walking back in the hall. However, they didn't notice the cloaked figure as he melted back into the darkness with Lime completely hidden by his cloaked figure. 

*************************

"Lime! Lime!"

That was strange. Lime was always clinging on tight to Junior and there were very few moments where she was not with Junior. 

_Where was she? Where could she be?_

*Surely, Lime couldn't gone very far. She might have been simply exploring around her new surroundings.*

"Cherry!"

"Bloodberry!"

Junior called and called and finally the two marionettes showed up. Their eyelids seemed rather heavy. Perhaps they had been drinking too much? Olga and Natasha also seemed concerned as they remarked to Junior that the welfare of their guests were very important. Junior turned to Cherry and Bloodberry and spoke in an earnest voice.

"Have you seen Lime?"

**************************

"Have you seen Lime?"

The words were still going through Bloodberry's head. What a fine guard she was turning out to be. Bloodberry made sure that Cherry stayed with Junior while she went looking. 

There had to be a way to connect the Czar to all of this. She smiled to herself. There was one way to guarantee finding Lime.

Bloodberry went back to her room and got all neccessary supplies ready. She rolled them into a bag and secured it on her leg underneath her large dress. Her fighting clothes were, of course, hidden by the regal gown.

She went back outside and waited. Soon, she knew, the shadows would move. 

****************************

Lime's eyes cracked open a tiny bit, and it took her a few seconds to regain complete consciousness. Her whole frame felt stiff and sore, as if all the mechanics inside her were running in a slow and painful manner. She tried to focus her eyes, but all she could see was a dimly lit room when she finally did. 

"Eh....where...." Lime moaned. Suddenly, her sensors registered movement in a far corner....a figure was coming towards her, but she couldn't get up to confront them....she was paralyzed. The dark figure towered over her, yet Lime simply closed her eyes. The last thing she could remember was being passed a large flask of a white drink during the dinner party. Lime had asked Junior next to her if it was okay to drink, and he approved after sampling it himself. "Nothing more than milk..." he had said. 

Lime tried to curl up in a ball, but was completely unable. "Juuniorr..." she moaned, nearly inaudible

"Yeah, she's really knocked out."

One men came out from the room where Lime was lying. Closing the door quietly, he continued to chatter with the other man. 

The man coughed. After expectorating some phlegm, he continued speaking. 

"You people deal in black market items, don't you? After all, wouldn't this marionette fetch a handsome price?"

"Sure. Sure."

Lime was still resting in her locked room. Outside, two men were still haggling about what they should do.

"I say we sell her to Putkin. He's rich. He'll pay us a lot of money."

"No. No. I say Madam Ivashkin. She's loaded with tons of cash."

The men continued to argue while the imprisoned marionette was lost in her own thoughts. Time flew as quickly as the birds in the sky.

*************************

"We have looked everywhere."

The Czar's two daughters chorused. Attendants and servants had searched around the palace but to no avail. The way they had been searching there was no way a mouse could even get away. 

*Where could she be? What was she doing now?*

Junior was worried. Cherry was standing beside him. It was certainly not very often but she was certainly showing genuine concern over Lime. Sure, the two marionettes may squabble from time to time but Junior guessed that their relationships were no different from two sisters.

"...unless someone took her away by force." 

"Impossible but..."

"..I must go out and look.."

"..but it is late. If anyone had kidnapped her, it would be the same people we saw the other day. They were probably hoping to get a good price for her at the black market."

Junior sighed. Natasha was right.

*****************************

Some of them were tall.

Some of them were short.

Some of them had long hair.

Some of them had short hair.

Junior looked carefully at the various marionettes on display in the old marionette shop. Natasha and Olga, dressed in plain-clothes were standing nearby. Bloodberry and Cherry were also staring out of curiousity at the blank expressions of the lifeless marionettes.

*Hmmm...interesting.*

"Tell me again, why are we in this shop?"

Natasha answered Junior's question. "Since females came into existence, productions of marionettes have dwindled. Now the only ones who still buy marionettes are rich families." She slowly fingered a price tag and showed it to Junior, shocking him with the gauzy expensiveness of it. "However sometimes marionettes are stolen and they are sometimes sold in the black market for less. I was hoping that we could get some leads here."

Junior nodded and turned his attention to Cherry and Bloodberry who seemed puzzled at a seemingly lifeless marionette. He slowly explained. 

"She doesn't have a maiden circuit and hasn't been activated yet. That's why she seems so lifeless and still."

"You don't know?"

The old shopowner shook his head. Whether or not he was telling the truth about not knowing about Lime's disappearance, Junior honestly couldn't tell.

Junior continued to let himself be fascinated by the various marionettes in the shop. Some were decked in expensive clothes and some were not; but they came in all shapes and sizes.

Junior felt someone lean gently against him. He turned his head slightly to see Cherry leaning against him. As if he could read her mind, he spoke. "Don't worry. You're irreplaceable. I don't know where I would be without you."

**************************

"Come everyone. I think we should go." Junior figured that he wasn't getting anywhere and he thought he would continue his search for Lime elsewhere. 

A wealthy well-dressed man had been observing Cherry and Bloodberry. He walked with a very upright posture that seemed to make his obvious middle-age very insignificant. His hair was gray and his gaze was as strong as steel. He seemed very fascinated with how they walked and talked and how their facial expressions would vary according to their moods. Motioning to the owner of the shop he asked, "Do you happen to carry marionettes like them?"

The old man shook his head and merely replied that those were extremely rare and hard to come by... 

Cherry didn't like the way the two men talked about her as if she were an object that could be bought and sold. As if she had no free will of her own...

Cherry decided to use this to her advantage. She walked over to the wealthy looking gentleman and smiled. "It's been really hard for us too. We're looking for a sister. We've looked in the regular shops and we just can't find anything." Cherry gave a sigh and tried to look depressed. "I'm beginning to think that I won't ever have a little sister."

Junior stood there watching Cherry. He couldn't tell if there was really something wrong with her or not. She normally bickered with Lime, and now she was acting as if Lime didn't exist.

The man put his hand on Cherry's shoulder. "Don't worry little one," he said, "I'm sure you'll find exactly what you are looking for."

Cherry looked up as a child would. "I hope so," she said with a sigh. Cherry thought, maybe this guy knew something. If not, she could use this technique elsewhere. It may actually help. Cherry was careful to keep acting innocent and slightly unaware of the circumstances

Junior had decided that he wouldn't be able to find what he was looking for. Deciding that he would have better luck elsewhere, he gestured to the girls that it was time to go. The motley group noisily made their way out of the shop hoping to find Lime somewhere else.

The wealthy-looking gentleman set out his extended case on the table of the owner of the marionette shop. He set it down carefully, as if it were very fragile. Speaking in a low tone, he asked the old marionette shopowner,"I heard that you know all the dealings of the underground markets around here. Any idea how much this is worth?"

"Hmmm?"

The wealthy-looking man slowly opened the case. Inside was a sword. It looked very expensive. The blade glittered and looked shiny and sharp. The handle looked like it was decorated with expensive metals.

"My heavens! That crest looks like the royal crest of Romanna!" 

"It is?"

"Of course."

"Any idea how much it is worth?"

Fidgeting nervously and looking around to see if anyone was listening, the old shopkeeper whispered into his ear: "A lot of money."

*********************************

Outside, Junior and company continued their search for Lime, unaware of the following conversation that just took place in the old marionette shop.... 

_Ignorance is bliss._

****************************

Lime's eyes shot open, exposing her to the bright sunlight. She had to immediately close them again, though, for the dust in the air was too much for her. She coughed and tried to rub the dirt out of her eyes, but found she was unable to. Her hands wouldn't move, they were bound by thick ropes behind her back. 

_Ow! Ow! Ow!_

Squinting, Lime saw that she was riding on a primitive wagon of some sort, and a wall of rock was rearing up into the sky far above on her left. There were two cloaked figures riding in the wagon, both sitting in front of her on a large plank. The cart was being drawn by two tawny-colored horses, and they were traveling at a frightening pace.

Lime cleared her mind before thinking of what to do. The last thing she remembered clearly was a dinner party in the palace, sitting next to Junior, and having a lovely time. Some one must have slipped a virus or other mechanical prohibitor into some of her food that night, rendering her useless for God knows how long. She had no idea of how many days it had been since she last saw Junior, but she knew he was nowhere near. Something was terribly wrong.

Lime grunted and easily snapped the ropes binding her. She massaged her wrists, and kept an eye on the people in front. Luckily, the rattling of the cart had masked the noises she was making, and they hadn't noticed her yet. Silently, she grabbed one of the numerous sacks of supplies surrounding her in the cart, and hopped over the back end. Crouching, Lime watched as the mysterious riders and carriage went on and eventually rounded a bend, going out of sight. She sighed and looked around as the dust in the air settled. What now? She couldn't stay here too long, they'd eventually notice her disappearance and come back. 

Lime had to get moving........the only problem was, she had no idea of where she was.

Still, she had to run. And so she ran....

***************************

Still carrying the sword, the wealthy gentleman followed the old shopkeeper. 

Their conversation had previously gone on for quite a while. The gentleman who went by the name of Baron Dubouvitsky had bargained about the price for a long time but had been unable to make too much progress. Finally noticing the Baron's earlier interest in Cherry, the shopkeeper mentioned about another marionette that he knew was locked up somewhere.....

Now, the shopkeeper had nothing to do with the actual kidnapping. However he had all his underground connections and he had been informed of this kidnapping. The old shopkeeper didn't really care about these things. All he was thinking was about the big fat commission that he would receive.

"And you say her name is....?"

"Lime, I heard. Very strong. Would be useful to keep in your castle as a servant." The old man mumbled.

He led the Baron outside a dark and dank room while he slowly fidgeted with the keys. The ugly creaking sound clearly showed that the hinges of the door really required some oiling. He peered inside to the darkness.....

"Oh my goodness! Sh-she's GONE!!!"

Somewhere else, Junior was unaware of all that had just happened while he and the others continued to search for Lime. He was also unaware that at this very moment Lime was wishing that she could find him....... 

"I really don't know what else to do."

Junior was exasperated. He had searched every nook and cranny he could think of. Yet he couldn't find Lime anywhere. He was beginning to feel very worried.

Cherry may have occasionally squabbled with Lime but right now, she seemed sad, even depressed that Lime was not around. The Czar's daughters tried to console her to no avail. Bloodberry looked frustrated. Junior was sure that she was upset with herself for not watching over her carefully.

A distant memory reentered Junior's mind. He remembered the time they played silly games together. He remembered how they would have fun together - the three of them, himself, Lime and Cherry. And he wished for those wonderful memories to become real again.

Cherry looked over at Junior. He had such a worried look on his face that it made Cherry want to cry. Lime had disappeared. Cherry couldn't think of a way to get her back. She wondered if Junior would ever be the same again. Cherry looked over at Bloodberry. 

"I'm not going to give up."

Bloodberry smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Cherry." Bloodberry said, "I'm supposed to guard the three of you and now Lime is missing. I don't plan to give up easily."

Cherry felt determined to find the answers they were all looking for. She turned around to face Junior. "I'm not giving up and neither is Bloodberry. We WILL find her, Junior-sama."

Junior wiped a tear from his eye.

Cherry walked down an alley near the shop. "Would you like some help, little one?" a strange voice said from the shadows.

It was a woman's voice, it had to be... 

"Would you like some help, little one?"

Cherry turned around to see a woman wearing a green top and dark green pants. Her hair was dark red and the braid stopped at about her shoulders. 

Cherry never expected to see so many women just walking around. Cherry tried to stand tall, though she was not nearly as tall as Bloodberry. "How do I know I can trust you?"

The woman smiled, "Simply, you can't know."

Cherry looked at the woman in astonishment. She wasn't sure what to do.

The woman stopped. "You can follow me or you can stay here. I know a little about the black market." After a brief pause she added, "You'd be crazy if you think I'll go back to that castle with you and your friends."

Cherry tried to look tough (which of course, didn't work), "Do you think we're going to turn you in when you've offered to help us?"

The woman looked back at Cherry. "I never said you were stupid. Look, I know what it is like to lose someone you are close to."

At this, Cherry took a step closer.

The woman smiled, "I'm not going to the castle so you'll have to work with me on my terms."

Cherry smiled, "I never mentioned going to the castle."

"The name's Aonya."

Cherry could hear some noise in the background. Aonya lept onto a fire escape. "I will get in touch with you soon."

"What do you know?" Junior asked, trying to sound authorative. 

"Simply what you need to know," Aonya replied mysteriously as she slowly scampered away.

"Look, we don't have time for games..." Junior put his hand on Princess Olga's mouth before she could say more. "Pssttt!!! Let's follow her!" He whispered in a tone that was soft but loud enough so that everyone could hear. "...maybe she knows something that we don't."

"Good idea." Bloodberry was the first to dash. Junior had to restrain her before she made herself too conspicuous. The little group slowly followed Aonya from behind as she led them in a mad dash through blind alleys and forgotten streets.

********************************

"Remind me what we are doing in this back alley. It looks so....unsafe."

"To look for Lime and the sword, remember?"

"You know that since this is a black market for smuggled goods, there is a chance that we might find the Royal Villey Sword here too?"

"Perhaps."

Junior couldn't see Aonya anywhere but the last he had seen her, she had scampered into this narrow alley where he saw all kinds of people of the lower classes who seemed to be haggling and bargaining over all kinds of items. Junior doubted that most of the items were acquired legally. 

Cherry looked around the alleyway. This was definitely unsafe. She wondered exactly what Aonya was up to. Princess Olga turned toward Junior.

"This place is far too unsafe for your friends."

Junior shrugged. "I can't just leave them behind though. That's why Lime disappeared."

Cherry looked on some of the tables. There were tracking devices and homing beacons. The man at the table she was currently at spoke. "A pretty young thing like you would carry a high price." 

Cherry backed away a few steps.

"Don't worry," the man said, "this place is one of the few places where no one would be dumb enough to try such a thing. The market is safe because of all of us scoundrels in it."

Cherry thought that 'scoundrel' probably was too good of a term for a lot of these people, but she smiled and went back to Junior and Princess Olga. 

In the shadows, the woman in green stared at the group. "Yes, I know what it is like to lose friends." 

*************************

*That petite size. Those big eyes. Could they be?*

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Without thinking, Junior rushed towards one of the marionettes on display and started to hug it when.... 

"Hey buddy. Want to buy her? I can give you a special price."

Junior rubbed his eyes. *Oops!* It was not Lime. From a short distance away, the marionette had looked a little like Lime but on closer examination, it was not Lime. The marionette had no maiden circuit and merely looked at Junior with blank...even dead-looking eyes. Clearly, it had not been activated yet.

Junior looked embarrassed.

"Err...no. Just..uhh..."

"Let's go."

Bloodberry and Cherry dragged Junior from where he was standing to the bewilderment of the seller. 

Feeling rather disappointed that he had not be able to sell Lime at a good price, the old marionette shopowner decided on the next best thing to do. After all, Lime had escaped and there was no telling if she could be found or not.

So, he led Baron Dubouvitsky to a place. A certain alley known for procuring all kinds of illegal goods. Goods which could be bought and sold at profitable prices. It was his fervent hope that he could introduce the Baron to a client there and he could get a handsome commission from the sale.

Unbeknownst to him, Junior and his entourage were also in the same vicinity searching for Lime. They were looking everywhere at different stalls and if they continued walking straight, in a matter of minutes, their paths would cross....

Cherry ran in front of the others, bumping into a tall man. "Excuse me," she said, and hurried on. 

"That one is similar to the one I've been telling you about."

Unfortunately, Cherry missed this line because she was running off to find her new contact and to get clues about Lime.

She felt a grab at her shoulder as she was pulled into yet another alley. It was the green-robed woman. "Be careful who you bump into."

Cherry wondered exactly how much this woman knew. "Why?"

"The foppish character over there always means trouble. I'd keep your eye on him. He's as bad as some of the worst."

Cherry looked at her helper, this was getting interesting... 

Aonya smiled to herself. Obviously, Cherry had not noticed what the man was carrying. Otherwise, Cherry might have had a rather different reaction. 

"Hey, where did Cherry go?"

"She must have seen something interesting. Maybe she wanted to buy it." 

Feeling reassured that Cherry was in no trouble, Junior looked around while Bloodberry and the two Peterburg princesses stood by him. After all, Junior knew that Cherry liked to go shopping and would get excited at things she saw at a market place. He continued surveying the scene around him. Just the usual market scene even though he knew that most of these people were trading in stuff that had been smuggled in; obviously to avoid declaring taxes on them.

Some people caught his attention. A tall man in his late 30s and a haggard old man was obviously trying to bargain something with a shorter man in his 40s. 

*Didn't I see the old man somewhere before?* 

Junior thought he looked familiar until he realized that he had seen him earlier in the marionette shop. They were so busy haggling that no one noticed Junior and his group.

A flash of shiny metal called Junior's eye. It looked like a sword.

*A sword? That looks like....*

"...the Royal Villay Sword..."

Junior didn't wait to hear his marionettes say that. He already knew in his mind that the thing his father had honorably entrusted to his son to seek was right in front of his eyes. He had never asked his father exactly how much the sword was worth but he knew that the worth was not so much of monetary value but more for its value to the Royal Family of Romanna. And by entrusting this task to his son, his father was clearly giving him a responsibility of adulthood.

Junior knew what he had to do. He had no time to think.

He lunged forward.

"...Hey...you...."

Cherry heard voices in the market. "Junior-sama..."

Cherry started to run back, but was blocked by Aonya.

"Be quiet," Aonya said, "you'll give away where we are."

"But," said Cherry and she tried to leap over Aonya.

"That man is one of the worst..." Aonya said. "You can NOT go back there right now. You are going to have to wait until it calms down." 

Cherry wondered just exactly her new acquaintance knew. How much was she involved in this? What was really

going on?

Aonya looked back at Cherry. "Let's just say I have some history," she said, as if reading Cherry's mind. 

"I'm a different person than the one I started as and I live in a different world than I should." 

There was more noise coming down another alley. It seemed that another brawl was about to take place.

"I have to get you out of here," Aonya said, "It is not safe, obviously."

Cherry followed Aonya, but she couldn't help but wonder what was going on. The woman seemed to know too much about the situation, but she wasn't getting herself involved. She watched, and left. Why?

She soon found herself at what looked like an abandoned building. She had been thinking the whole way and didn't know what turns they had taken to get there.

Aonya smiled, "This is my home. You can stay here for a little while, but I'm sneaking you back into the castle tonight."

Cherry just stood there. She hoped Junior was alright. She didn't know what she would do without him. She

wished she had gone to fight.

"Stay as close as you can to your Junior when you get back," said Aonya, "there are a lot of people in that place who aren't what they seem." 

***************************

"But where did Cherry go?"

"Never mind now...."

"Junior!!!"

_That voice!_

He turned around. The distraction had come at the proper moment.

*Hmmmm?*

"L-"

"JUNIOR!!!"

A familiar voice and someone that was running towards his direction came. Junior looked. It must be Lime. It definitely HAD to be Lime.

The commotion didn't go unnoticed. Baron Dubouvitsky had heard the cry. He looked and realized that the sword he had just been clutching in his bare hands a few moments ago were gone when he was distracted by the cry. Glancing swiftly, he saw that the sword was now in Junior's hands. They...

"HEY!!!YOU!!!!" 

***************************

Cherry snuck back into what looked like a normal-looking Peterburg house

"Calm down little one," said Aonya, still in her green outfit. "Your friends will come back," Aonya seemed to be a little unsure, but Cherry didn't know what to do, "we'll just need to wait for them here. Try to keep calm and let's stay away from anyone here." 

Aonya was looking around nervously. They were in a room at the far end of the castle. Aonya walked over to a bookshelf and took an old art folio out from behind it. She opened it up.

Cherry looked closely. A tear fell from Aonya's face.

"Tell me about your missing friend," Aonya said. 

***********************

Yes, there was no doubt about it. It had to be Lime. 

"Oh no. Trouble is approaching." Bloodberry nudged at Junior. They had been spotted. "Cherry sure picked a good time to disappear. I wonder where she went."

"No time to waste." Junior said. 

"But why should royalty..." the two princesses began, but Junior cut them short.

"You're in a lower-class section of the neighbourhood. The people here won't care who you are." Junior was quick to notice that the man wearing a purple cloak with rich-looking sequins had made a low whistle and soon a few people had shown up on the scene. Junior presumed that they were his goons.

Grabbing Princess Natasha's hand, he ran while Bloodberry grabbed Princess Olga's hand. The quartet with the Villey Sword firmly clutched in Junior's hands. Junior was glad that he had found it and he was sure that his father would be proud of him but he knew that he would be in big trouble if they caught him.

Fruits. Fruits everywhere. Shouting. People stepping on squishy fruits and falling on the ground.

Lime had just proven that she was cleverer than she looked. She had 'accidentally' knocked some carts of fruit and those goons were slipping and falling hard (VERY HARD) on the ground as they stepped on the slippery fruit.

*Lime.....*

"Ne Junior. We fixed them, didn't we."

"I wouldn't stop to gloat. Let's RUNNNNN!!!!"

Junior had time to throw a smile at Lime while she winked back. The lively quintet now fled as stall vendors started cursing.

"Where to, Junior?"

"Back to the Czar's castle. I bet Cherry went there to get help."

Bloodberry patted Lime on the forehead.

"Looks like you had a rough time. Wh-"

"What happened to you earlier?" Junior asked, interrupting Bloodberry before she had a chance to ask Lime. He looked at Lime in a kindly way. After all, she was more than just a marionette; she was a loyal companion.

"Darkness. Bad bad people. Lime lucky to escape. Lime so happy!!!" she replied in her characteristically cheery way. Junior smiled while Bloodberry merely nodded. They continued to run towards the castle.

_A house. A face by the window._

"Hey! That's Cherry!!"

The little entourage dashed inside a house quickly losing their pursuers who were wondering where they had gone to.

A huge grin appeared on Junior's face. "Cherry! Where have you been?"

Cherry saw Lime was with them and gave both Junior and Lime a hug. "I was pulled away before things got dangerous."

Bloodberry stood near the doorway. She had made sure to close the door before there was too much commotion. "I'm glad to see that you are BOTH all right. We have what we came for, but I don't think things are over just yet."

Cherry looked at Lime. "What happened to you? Where have you been? How did you get back?"

Lime looked as if she wanted to answer, but she didn't know where to begin.

"Give her some time," said a voice from the corner. A bookcase moved and Aonya strolled out of it. "No doubt she has been through a lot and she may not have all the answers you are looking for."

Junior looked at her questioningly. "I've checked the passages, and we're safe right now," said the green-clad stranger. "Something isn't right about this..." She looked around. 

"Who are you?" Junior asked.

"That doesn't matter now," said Aonya. "You can call me Aonya, but who I am makes no difference. I'm just a ghost to some, but to you I will be a friend." 

"A ghost?" asked Junior.

"Someone that no longer exists," Aonya said. "I assure you I am very much alive, but I know too many secrets of this place. Some would prefer that I was no longer around."

Aonya looked around the room again. "It's been a long time since I've been inside these walls. I shall not stay long, but I am here for the moment."

Bloodberry stood near the door. She could hear the voices of the Princesses. Her mind was turning over the possibilities and trying to find where this would lead.

There was a knock on the door. Aonya disappeared quickly. Bloodberry opened the door for the ladies.

"Wonderful! All of your friends are back!"

Bloodberry began to wonder how many secrets the princesses knew or had themselves, and how many secrets did Aonya belong to. 

The princesses sure were noisy. 

Bloodberry opened the door as they came in.

"So....why are we here again instead of the castle?" Junior asked again only to be ignored.

"Here...Aonya, these are the princesses...eh?"

Bloodberry turned around only to see that no one was answering her. "What about those people following us?" Nobody answered her but Junior pointed out of the door at a strange sight. There was a procession of palace guards. Amongst the group was the Baron, the old marionette shop owner, their cronies. Junior observed with interest that their hands were tied.

"Eh?"

He was getting more and more puzzled. He turned to Princess Natasha and Princess Olga for clarification.

"There was this woman. This woman was wearing a green top and dark green pants. Her hair was dark red and the braid stopped at about her shoulders. Apparently, she was the one that informed the palace guards about everything that happened and brought them to apprehend these bad men. She disappeared before we could thank her."

_(Weirder and weirder.) _

Junior was getting more and more confused. One of the guards walked over and handed an envelope to Junior. 

==============================

I want to thank you for everything that you've done. I'm sorry that you had to meet up with these nasty folks but anyway, thank you for taking care of the two princesses.

I think I need to explain exactly what is going on. You see...the Czar's wife who passed away a long time ago was barren. Yes, I can picture the shocked expression on your face as you will probably be wondering about the princesses. 

I am their real mother. Yes, it is true. I was only a lowly servant girl then at the palace. Unfortunately that meant that I could never marry into royalty as the constitution clearly states that the Czar had to marry one of the daughters of the nobilities. 

Why should status and rank matter so much? Aren't people all the same in spite of rank?

Amidst all the secrecy, my two daughters were taken away from me and they were presented as the Czarina's daughters. Of course, she had to fake her pregnancies. As for me, I was sold to Baron Dubouvitsky who abused me until I ran away.

I have to keep my identity secret from my lovely daughters who have grown up so beautiful as it would send their world crashing down if they were to find out that their father had been lying to them all the time. I can only continue to watch them from a safe distance and hope that they will be in good health always.

Thank you for everything. I'm sure that you will be a good ruler of Romanna one day. 

Aonya

==============================

Junior slowly put the letter into his trousers pocket. He had strange look of nostalgia in his face.

"What's that?!!!" Lime asked in her characteristic high-pitched voice.

"Nothing important." Looking up, Junior smiled at everyone and turned to Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry. 

"Let's get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow we'll return to Romanna with the Sword. Good job everyone and I'm glad that we had fun." 

Aonya's secret would stay safe with Junior. He did hope to meet up again with her someday when he returned to Romanna..........

**The End**


End file.
